Adventures to the Eight Wonders of the World

What Kids Say About Carole Marsh Mysteries . . .

I love the real locations! Reading the book always makes me want to go and visit them all on our next family vacation. My Mom says maybe, but I can’t wait!

One day, I want to be a real kid in one of Ms. Marsh’s mystery books. I think it would be fun, and I think I am a real character anyway. I filled out the application and sent it in and am keeping my fingers crossed!

History was not my favorite subject till I starting reading Carole Marsh Mysteries. Ms. Marsh really brings history to life. Also, she leaves room for the scary and fun.

I think Christina is so smart and brave. She is lucky to be in the mystery books because she gets to go to a lot of places. I always wonder just how much of the book is true and what is made up. Trying to figure that out is fun!

Grant is cool and funny! He makes me laugh a lot!!

I like that there are boys and girls in the story of different ages. Some mysteries I outgrow, but I can always find a favorite character to identify with in these books.

They are scary, but not too scary. They are funny. I learn a lot. There is always food which makes me hungry. I feel like I am there.

What Parents and Teachers Say About Carole Marsh Mysteries . . .

I think kids love these books because they have such a wealth of detail. I know I learn a lot reading them! It’s an engaging way to look at the history of any place or event. I always say I’m only going to read one chapter to the kids, but that never happens—it’s always two or three, at least!

—Librarian Reading the mystery and going on the field trip—Scavenger Hunt in hand—was the most fun our class ever had! It really brought the place and its history to life. They loved the real kids characters and all the humor. I loved seeing them learn that reading is an experience to enjoy!

—4th grade teacher Carole Marsh is really on to something with these unique mysteries. They are so clever; kids want to read them all.

The Teacher’s Guides are chock full of activities, recipes, and additional fascinating information. My kids thought I was an expert on the subject—and with this tool, I felt like it!

—3rd grade teacher My students loved writing their own Real Kids/Real Places mystery book! Ms. Marsh’s reproducible guidelines are a real jewel. They learned about copyright and more & ended up with their own book they were so proud of!

—Reading/Writing Teacher “The kids seem very realistic—my children seemed to relate to the characters. Also, it is educational by expanding their knowledge about the famous places in the books.”

“They are what children like: mysteries and adventures with children they can relate to.”

“Encourages reading for pleasure.”

“This series is great. It can be used for reluctant readers, and as a history supplement.”

by Carole Marsh

Copyright ©2007 Carole Marsh/ Gallopade International All rights reserved.

First Edition Ebook edition Copyright ©2011 Carole Marsh Mysteries™ and its skull colophon and Fantasy Field Trips™ are the property of Carole Marsh and Gallopade International.

Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books. Printed in the United States of America.

Managing Editor: Sherry Moss Assistant Editor: Mike Kelly Cover Design: Vicki DeJoy Cover Illustrations: Kirin Knapp Inside Illustrations: Yvonne Ford Gallopade International is introducing SAT words that kids need to know in each new book that we publish. The SAT words are bold in the story. Look for this special logo beside each word in the glossary. Happy Learning!

Gallopade is proud to be a member and supporter of these educational organizations and associations: American Library Association American Booksellers Association International Reading Association National Association for Gifted Children The National School Supply and Equipment Association The National Council for the Social Studies Museum Store Association Association of Partners for Public Lands This book is a complete work of fiction. All attractions, product names, or other works mentioned in this book are trademarks of their respective owners and the names and images used in this book are strictly for editorial purposes; no commercial claims to their use is claimed by the author or publisher.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

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Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

20 Years Ago . . .

As a mother and an author, one of the fondest periods of my life was when I decided to write mystery books for children. At this time (1979) kids were pretty much glued to the TV, something parents and teachers complained about the way they do about web surfing and blogging today.

I decided to set each mystery in a real place—a place kids could go and visit for themselves after reading the book. And I also used real children as characters. Usually a couple of my own children served as characters, and I had no trouble recruiting kids from the book’s location to also be characters.

Also, I wanted all the kids—boys and girls of all ages—to participate in solving the mystery. And, I wanted kids to learn something as they read. Something about the history of the location. And I wanted the stories to be funny. That formula of real+scary+smart+fun served me well.

I love getting letters from teachers and parents who say they read the book with their class or child, then visited the historic site and saw all the places in the mystery for themselves. What’s so great about that? What’s great is that you and your children have an experience that bonds you together forever. Something you shared. Something you both cared about at the time. Something that crossed all age levels—a good story, a good scare, a good laugh!

20 years later,

Carole Marsh

Hey, kids! As you see, here we are ready to embark on another of our exciting Carole Marsh Mystery adventures.

My grandchildren often travel with me all over the world as I research new books. We have a great time together, and learn things we will carry with us for the rest of our lives!

I hope you will go to www.carolemarshmysteries.com and explore the many Carole Marsh Mysteries series!

Well, the Mystery Girl is all tuned up and ready for “take-off!” Gotta go…Papa says so! Wonder what I’ve forgotten this time?

Happy “Armchair Travel” Reading,

Mimi

About the Characters

Ms. Bogus’ Fourth Grade Alpine McAlpine School Can you imagine a class where you go on field trips that are literally “out of this world?” The kids in Ms. Bogus’ fourth grade class don’t just imagine Fantasy Field Trips—they experience them!

Meet Ms. Bogus, the quirky teacher with the big heart and even bigger imagination! On the left are twins Skylar and Drew, and Colette, who sits in a wheelchair but stands tall in the middle of every Fantasy Field Trip adventure! On the right are Lucia, the girl who loves to travel; Willy, the class clown with lots of big ideas; and Sarah, the shy blonde who loves to read.

There are lots of other kids to meet in Ms. Bogus’ class, too. So, let’s go—it’s time for a Fantasy Field Trip!

Books in This Serie s #1 Adventure to the Eight Wonders of the World #2 Adventure to the Planet Mars #3 Adventure to the Pioneer Prairie

Table of Contents Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Spitball Maze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 One For You, One For Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3 Tour Guide Lucia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 4 Riddle Me This! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5 Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6 Aye, Aye, Captain! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 7 Holy Cow! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 8 Brains Over Brawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 9 Follow Me, If You Can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 10 Strap On Your Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 11 Your Wish Is My Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 12 Much Is Not More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 13 Just Call Me Sherlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 14 Pizza on My Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 15 Boys! They Never Listen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 16 A Man’s Got To Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 17 Plant The Flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 18 Dig In! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 19 We Don’t Want To Go Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 20 Bunch Of Chickens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 21 Snakes and Storms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 22 I’m Starving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 23 It Makes Me Dizzy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 24 Royal Ramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 25 Secret Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 26 Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Built-In Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Tech Connects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

1

Prologue “What do you think of Ms. Bogus?” Sarah asked. Sarah was the tallest girl in the fourth grade at Alpine McAlpine School. Her sapphire eyes had a way of mesmerizing people when she talked.

“I don’t know!” Lucia said. As she turned quickly toward Sarah, her dark, curly hair jiggled. “She seems okay, but I’ve heard strange things about her from some of the kids that had her last year.”

“Strange things?” Sarah said. “What do they mean by strange? Is she a clairvoyant or does she talk to herself?”

“No,” Lucia replied, “at least I don’t think so. She lives by herself with a houseful of cats and wears those weird cat-eye glasses.

They say she likes to go to the ballet and the opera by herself.”

“Hmm!” Sarah said. “You should like her then. You’re the one who loves to dance and do all that physical stuff.”

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Adventure to the EIght Wonders of the World

“Well,” Lucia said, “we can’t all be star pupils. You need to get your head out of your books and come to a dance class with me.

You’d love it!”

“You know I’m not very athletic,” Sarah said. “I’m uncoordinated,” she added, and changed the subject. “I really kind of like Ms. Bogus. She’s strange to look at, but I get this feeling she genuinely cares about teaching.”

Drew and his twin brother, Skylar, were sitting in the seats behind the girls. “You got the strange part right,” Drew said. “She lives alone in a house filled with cats, and the only thing she ever eats is the tuna she feeds her cats.”

“I heard she drives around in a really old pickup truck when she’s not at school,” Colette said, her hands resting on the wheels of her wheelchair. She sat across the aisle from Lucia and Sarah. “Some of the kids say she has cats buried all over her property and even in her basement!”

Prologue

3

“Aw, that’s nothing!” Skylar said, leaning forward in his seat. “I heard a story about Ms. B from a kid in sixth grade. He said that when she was younger, she went to prison for selling coats she made out of cat skins!”

Willy took a bite of a shiny, red apple. He sat across from the twins. “Man,” he said, “you guys couldn’t be any more wrong! Ms. B is the best teacher you’ll ever have. She’s nice, she’s funny, and you can tell she likes to teach.”

Willy’s teeth crunched into his apple again. “So,” he said, “as long as you’re not a long-haired, furry cat, you have nothing to worry about!”

5

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Spitball Maze Sarah curled up in her usual position with her nose buried in a book. This time it was a book about the great wonders of the world.

Everyone had to give an oral report on the wonder they’d love to visit. Sarah didn’t want to visit any of them.

“I don’t understand what people get out of traveling,” Sarah said. “I’d rather see an atom split, or explore the chemical bonds between elements, or take a space trip to the moon or Mars. But to see a tower that’s falling over? What’s so great about that?”

Lucia looked up from the colorful travel book she was reading. “You crazy girl! I can’t wait until I’m old enough to travel the world.

I dream about spending my days lying on the

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beach in exotic places like Australia, New Zealand, or Brazil, or spending romantic nights in Rome or Paris.”

Colette stuck a pink bookmark in her book about the Grand Canyon. “I’m not sure I’d want to travel to any of the world’s wonders, either,” Colette said, pushing a strand of red hair behind her ear, “although the Grand Canyon does seem fascinating.”

A spitball splattered against Colette’s book, just missing her hand. She saw a hand and straw disappear around the corner of a nearby bookshelf in the school library.

“Boys!” she hissed. “They just can’t leave us alo—” A spitball smacked Lucia in the back of her head and another thumped against the stack of books in the middle of the table.

“Oh, boy!” Lucia said, pulling a couple of straws out of her backpack. “That’s it! This

Spitball Maze

7

is war!” She held the straws in the air.

“Who’s with me?”

“Where did you get those?” Colette asked.

“From the cafeteria,” Lucia replied, wiggling her eyebrows. “I heard the boys talking about a spitball fight at lunch. My mom says a woman should never be caught off guard!”

“Let’s teach them a lesson!” Colette cried, snatching a straw out of Lucia’s hand.

Sarah cradled the book in her lap. “I’ve got to get ready for this report,” she said.

“You guys get them for me.” But Lucia and Colette were already gone, vanishing into the maze of bookshelves around their table.

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2

One For You, One For Me Colette peeked between the books, scanning the aisles for the boys. She motioned to Lucia. “There they are,” she whispered.

The girls shifted quietly into position.

“Game over, boys!” Lucia and Colette shouted, as they launched their massive spitball attack.

The boys tried to dodge the maelstrom of spitballs, but simply couldn’t avoid the barrage of wet, slimy pellets.

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Adventure to the EIght Wonders of the World

“Okay! Okay!” Willy and Drew shouted, their arms shielding their heads. “You win!

You win!”

“Take that!” Colette said in an unusually loud voice.

“And this!” Lucia added, and then suddenly yanked the straw out of her mouth and tucked it behind her back.

The boys saw her face and turned toward Colette, expecting to get hit with another spitball, but Colette’s straw was nowhere in sight.

Instead, Ms. Bogus was standing behind her.

“Hmm!” Ms. Bogus said. “Good shooting, girls, but as you said, ‘Game’s over!’ It’s time to go back to class.” She started to turn, but stopped abruptly.

“Willy, Drew,” Ms. Bogus said, “go clean the spitballs out of your hair. You’ll be giving your oral reports first.”

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3

Tour Guide Lucia Ms. Bogus stood at the front of the class.

She was a tall, pear-shaped woman who was completely comfortable in her oversized dress, string of pearls, outdated slip-on shoes, and unbrushed, short haircut. She peered over the cat-eye glasses perched on the end of her pointy nose, scanning the room for the last person to present their report.

Skylar strolled back to his seat next to his brother after finishing his report. They were twins in every way, including their shaggy, sun-bleached, blond hair. The only way Ms. Bogus could tell them apart was by their eye color. Drew had intense, cobalt-blue eyes, while Skylar’s eyes were kind of a puppy-dog, chocolate brown.

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“Lucia,” Ms. Bogus said. “It’s your turn to give your report.”

Lucia stood at the front of the class. “As you already know,” Lucia said, “from everyone who did their report before me, the Grand Canyon is in the northern part of Arizona. It’s 18 miles wide, 227 miles long, and about 5,000 feet deep. The Colorado River runs through the bottom of it.

“There are three cool things you can do at the Grand Canyon,” she continued. “The first one is to take a burro ride from the top of the canyon all the way to the bottom of the canyon.”

Willy lifted his straw and pretended to blow a spitball at Lucia. She jumped to her left to evade the spitball, which never came.

“The next cool thing,” Lucia continued, glaring at Willy, “is to walk out on the Grand Canyon Glass Skywalk that the Hualapai Indians built.” Lucia turned to the marker board and wrote the word ‘Hualapai,’ so the kids could see how to spell it.

Tour Guide Lucia

13

“This thing is awesome!” Lucia reported.

“It’s 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, and juts 65 feet off the canyon rim into thin air. It has a glass bottom and can hold the weight of 71 fully loaded 747 airplanes.”

“Seventy-one airplanes? Full of people?”

Drew exclaimed. “That’s unbelievable!”

“It’s pretty amazing,” Lucia agreed. “The skywalk can withstand winds up to 100 miles per hour from eight different directions and an 8.0 magnitude earthquake!”

Lucia smiled broadly. “But the coolest, most awesome thing to do,” she added, “is to go whitewater rafting down the Colorado River. I went rafting on the Chattooga River in Georgia with my mom and it was incredibly scary and fun at the same time. I’d love to go rafting on the Colorado River!”

Lucia stacked her notecards neatly, signaling that her report was complete.

“Although I picked the Grand Canyon as my favorite place to go,” she continued, “I really want to travel around the whole world. My

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mom’s a travel agent, so I read all the travel brochures she brings home.”

“I want to stare up at the Leaning Tower of Pisa,” a dark-haired boy in the back of the class said.

“I want to walk on the Great Wall of China,” said a girl by the window.

“I want to play on the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland,” Drew said.

Willy tucked his straw in his pocket and stood up. “I want to stand at the top of the world on Mt. Everest and do a little dance like this.” With his feet flying like a whirlwind, Willy danced up and down the aisle between the desks.

Everyone began to laugh and talk at the same time.

“Okay, class,” Ms. Bogus said. “Quiet down and get back in your seats.” She waited for the class to settle down. “So, all of you want to see the wonders of the world, do you?”

Tour Guide Lucia

15

The children all nodded, except for Willy.

A rare, serious look came over his freckled face. “That would be the coolest, Ms. B, but it wouldn’t be any fun without you,” he said.

“Good answer, Willy,” Ms. Bogus remarked, with a chuckle. “Let me tell you what a trip to some of the wonders would be like. Everyone, clear off your desks, close your eyes, and relax. It’s time to go on a field trip!

“But to get there, we’re going to need transportation…”